Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday denied that Russia is providing weapons that are killing Syrian civilians.

"We don't supply weapons that can be used in civil conflicts," he said.

A Russian-flagged ship docked this week in the Syrian port of Tartus, and some human rights groups say it was carrying weapons to be used in the conflict in Syria. The U.S. State Department said Thursday that it was looking into the matter but could not confirm that the ship was carrying arms.

Speaking with reporters in Berlin after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin also struck back at claims by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Russia is "propping up the regime" of Bashar al-Assad.
"Those who say that Russia is propping up any regime, in this case President Assad unilaterally, all those people are wrong. We have good and long relations with Syria, but we do not support either of the sides."

Putin said he agreed with Merkel that everything must be done to avoid a civil war in Syria. "Today, we see developing elements of civil war, and it's very dangerous," he added.

On Friday, Clinton said in Oslo, Noway, that if Russia is ready to work with other world powers "to come together to plan a political transition, we will certainly be ready to cooperate."

But she hammered home her claim that Russia is helping Syria.

There's been a "very consistent arms trade" over the last year of violence from Russia to Syria, she said.

"We also believe that the continuing supply of arms from Russia has strengthened the Assad regime. What those arms are being used for, we cannot speak with any accuracy, but the fact that Russia has continued to sustain this trade in the face of efforts by the international community to impose sanctions and to prevent further arms flowing to the Assad regime, and in particular the Syrian military has raised serious concerns on our part," Clinton said.

This reflects the Obama administration's efforts to get Russia to use its pull with the regime.

Josh Earnest, President Barack Obama's special assistant and principal deputy press secretary, said Russia "has a significant investment in Syria and it's in their own self-interest" to help end the violence.

"The violence needs to end and a political transition needs to begin," Earnest said. "The only way the situation will be resolved in Syria is for Assad to leave power."

The Russian president said he still supports the six-point plan of Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League special envoy. The United States and other countries have said the plan is failing its primary mission: stopping the violence.

"We shouldn't say it's going to fail," he said. "We shouldn't have a negative prognosis. Annan is a former U.N. secretary general and a very experienced man. Our task is to stop the violence, and we agreed with the chancellor that we must use all our efforts - Germany, Russia and all our partners - not to allow the escalation of the violence."

The focus should be on a political solution, not on using force, Putin said. "We will maintain contact with President Assad and the leadership of Syria and with regional countries, Arab countries ... in order to find a political solution."

The German chancellor, meanwhile, agreed with the Russian president, avoiding expressing any opinion on whether Moscow is propping up the Assad regime. She told reporters that she "has the impression that nobody wants a civil war ... everything must be done to avoid a civil war."

"Everybody has to try to do his best to help a political solution," she said. "That is what we talked about and how can we at the U.N. do more work and make sure that the Annan plan doesn't sink into chaos. And then also try to make the political situation in Syria better. And we had a quiet discussion about that."

soundoff(148 Responses)

Chris

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I see. Putin is tolerant. His promise about those weapons in Syria supplied by Russia is absolutely not just as simple as it's been written on a sheet of paper. Al-Assad regime is like a dignity coat which Syrian people are wearing. It's actually far from a place where Russia stands on. Well, we just couldn't imagine al-Assad would get little confidence from watching his good friends smiling towards him.

Please provide a creditable link that the U.S. has provided and continues to supply the Syrian resistance groups with lethal weapons...I've only read of non-lethal supplies such as medical that has been provided by the U.S. . Not that the COUNTLESS videos and pics of the Syrian resistance are 100% proof that U.S. arms aren't involved in the conflict, but I'm seeing only Russian manufactured/designed small arms, heavy machine guns and RPGs in the pic/videos...M-4/16s are strangely absent.

Can you provide a link proving that Russia supplied weapons to the Syrian army?

June 7, 2012 at 8:35 am |

Chuk

With all apology for the suffering victims of this conflict, the West deserve this. The deserve it because the seed of the ongoing debacle was sewn in Libya when the West flat out lied about "protecting innocent civilians". The so-called innocent civilians were armed to the hilt and were sold as innocent. This, when everyone knew they just couldn't pass on getting Gadaffi who they've always wanted to kill.
Russia and China would not be fooled again using this pretense of protecting "innocent" civlians. Syria's "innocent civilians" just want to seize power in a country that has authoritarian rule. They see the Arab-spring opportunity and want to go for it.

Don't remember kids under the age of 12 as particularly capable/knowledgable/willing to be part of this "innocent civilian" population wishing to seize power. I do think that the resistance groups need to shoulder part of the blame...too many months of needless bloodshed because they weren't organized. Knowing they cannot "win" yet continue to fight, costing (yes Chuk, there are real "innocent civlians" involved here unless you missed it) their lives.

Read Wikipedia on major exporters of weapons and stop blaming Russia especially after a huge and messed-up US involvement in the same region. Weapons provided to "rebels" are being sold by parties that will never surface on CNN. A firm stand of Russia is not to blame for UN spineless approach to the region and double standards being prevelent. Russia went trough 20 years of the most horrific civil war in Chechnia and will be the last power interested in this regional war. The Arab spring was and is being financed by totally different parties, as a result the opposition in those "Spring" countries somehow turned out to be very well armed and very violent. It will be more sensible to blame the Alians for the conflic than Russia, unless the readers education is based on newspapers rather than at least a rudimentary political analysis of the region's past 20 years. This smokescreen and finger-pointing is useless to stop the already horrific situation in Syria. Reshuffling of Arab regimes in 2011-2012 was designed not in Russian political circles, so Hilary should spare the world this cold-war-era talk show.

The weapons supply "issue" is only a side show...talk all you want about what the U.S. has done in the region or that the U.N. can't seem to implement any resolution that is effective... those are non-creditable EXCUSES for Russia to continually block any effort to stop the bloodshed...that doesn't excuse Russia's blocking of efforts within the U.N. to forcibly end the massacres occuring in Syria almost exclusively carried out by the Assad Regime. They need to get on the right side of history do what is "right" and stand with the rest of the international community.

Russia and Iran are sending weapons to the Syrian Government, who do they think they are using them on? It's interesting no one is discussing religion in all this. It's Shiites vs the Sunnis. Iran and Russia see this as a strategic move.

It depends what kind of weapons: Surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship sea-skimming cruise missile, anti-tank missiles, planes, and helicopters directly from Russia. Tanks and artillery may be in the past, but not recently, not during the last several years.

Posted on Yo, thanks for the shout-out! Part 3 is prlbobay coming sooner rather than later, detailing JLA #111 and bringing people back up on to speed on Libra (who DC has been pushing as a factor in FC recently). That's his one and only appearance, and there's a lot there to suggest connections with G-Mo's themes.Again, glad to hear you liked it!

August 1, 2012 at 8:51 am |

smokeee

its funny when they outright lie on such a big stage. that KGB training comes in real well for Putin. and somehow i bet all of the middle eastern/persian Americans will somehow blame us for everything in the end. we're damned if we do, damned if we don't by a bunch of ungrateful ingrates. we help them and we're killing innocents despite being attacked by terrorist warfare. we don't help them, and the same people are guilt tripping us. its just so ridiculous. and as far as i'm concerned most countries in the middle east don't deserve our help. They're a lost cause with so much religious extremism in their way of life.

"We don't supply weapons that can be used in civil conflicts," he said.

A technicality, actually. They don't provide weapons at all, they are purchased...
right along with Iranian and North Korean weapons. But you would expect them to deny anything that may look "bad". The Americans do it too. Doesn't make it right. It's all about money and power, and the "little" people just get caught in the cross-fire, always will; but, in this case, it's more like ethnic cleansing which is something that the Russian government should be familiar with...

at least we tend to do 'it' in a more just way. helping Israel when they're surrounded by countries that want to blow them up, are constantly getting terrorist attacks, and it all gets spun like they/we're the bad guys when we're not the protagonists fighting like cowards. I hate it when people act like we're the same as Russia or anyone else, no we're not. if anything we're too altruistic in a world that only wants to blame us.

Actually most of Israeli problems are caused by Israeli's own arrogance; Israel should stop talking in public about attacking Iran (even if feasibility of plans to do so may be analyzed and prepared inside Israeli military).
Same applies to John Bolton: it is not professional for a high-ranking US diplomat to openly talk about these matters on TV in such a manner.

USA, it its unconditional support contributes to this arrogance by making Israelis think that they are invincible.

If not USA support, Israelis would have to settle Palestinian problem one way or another 50 years ago, and all these terrorist problems would not exist by now.

June 1, 2012 at 10:25 pm |

dscon

i agree.........
all pols do their bs sidestep, current ones here, and all globally.

Sure thing, Vlad baby! If you think those of us with sense believe you, maybe you'll buy this bridge I have for you. You"re nothing but a Marxist/communist at heart. And, so is Obama. Talk to him some more. He'll eventually let you have whatever you want. Until Nov. 6, that is.

i say dictator you say traitor............he's a piece of liberal work.

June 1, 2012 at 8:11 pm |

You Don't Say?

I'm not certain how bright that is of H.Clinton to go hard and heavy after the Russians. You know, people say the Russians can't be trusted, but I would say maybe she isn't looking at the right country with her suspicions ~ or perhaps she has it only partly right. Perhaps she isn't getting the bigger picture of what may be transpiring right under her own nose.

The syrian regime is killing its own unarmed civilians. It has been doing this for the entire first eight months of the syrian revolution. The people had to carry weapons after those eight months after realizing that the syrian regime will not stop killing and distroying their lives.

June 1, 2012 at 7:48 pm |

Joe

The ship contains the latest Russian anti-air and anti-ship missiles. These are harmless to civilians. So stop crying.

Most likely not UN, but from some sort of "coalition of willing"... Russia obviously will veto any UN authorization.

June 1, 2012 at 10:32 pm |

jrh

Wow. You've got some good intel there. Care to share your sources? Didn't think so. Seems to me all the weapons I've seen pictures of in Syria are Russian or Chinese in origin. How'd they get there, via tooth fairy?

Kofi Annan the most impotant man on Earth, next to Jimmy Carter. What a human zero. At least his son was smart enough to embezzle millions from the Oil for Food program. This Syrian war isn't going to end with him doing the "negotiations". Photo ops are lame, but that's his main "negotiating tool".

Putin may be wise, he may be brilliant, he can do anything he wants or doesnt want, it appears. But he cant make the rest of the world support his policies and decisions, if they are detrimental to the worlds best interest. It appears to me, that the Russian government has been supporting the wrong side for 100 years. When will they learn anything from their mistakes! Maybe not a laughing stock country, but really, twenty years ago, did we all have hope for them.

Assad has 250,000 crimminals working for him. Circumstancial and direct evidence, its all there. You really want Syria to go back to 2010 standards. It looks like a very poor country, usually means corrupt leadership and a rich one at that, at the very top.

June 1, 2012 at 4:34 pm |

BugOutBag

to Brad Williams
you didn't give me any evidence beside your blablabla that you learnt from us media. before war in Iraq they told there was weapons of mass destruction. Later Bush told Iraq didn't have it. It was lie for us public mind to start the war. US is almost bankrupt, its debt can't be repayed. That's why it robbers oily countries for resourses. there's no oppozition in Syria, there're mercenaries from saudy arabia, qatar, turkey, france who kill people. try to use your brains, maybe it will help))

June 1, 2012 at 6:10 pm |

Brad Williams

The majority of Syrians citizens have had enough of the butcher and dictator Assad. No free press, how do you like that for starters. Peaceful protests lead to shootings, detention, murder and torture. The people were terrorized, raped, beaten, and scared to death by his henchmen. Certainly not a fair fight, so you have to seek out help from the outside. Assad is doing nothing more than buying soldiers from outside, bringing in extra weapons from other countries and oil to keep him afloat. Are you some sort of a dictator lover? Are you poorer or wealthier because of him. Whats your interest in this diguisting mess! The seeds of dissent started back in the 70s, and not last year.

June 1, 2012 at 6:17 pm |

BugOutBag

i'm not dictator lover, i'm truth lover) all i hear from us representatives is lie. us kills civilians every day. i saw it in Iraq, Serbia, Afganistan, Libya. who will be the next? p.s. i'm still waiting any proof that Assad kills civilians))) and tell me one more thing how oppozition can be peaceful if it applies weapons?

June 1, 2012 at 6:36 pm |

Brad Williams

You cant trust the Russians, they are corrupt and profit is the motive. Russia and Syria in bed together, what a joke! Once again, Russia looks like a loser nation propping up a dictator for profits sake. History wont be kind to Russia, Syria or Iran in ten years time. Avoid purschasing all products from these countries, until Assad has been taken down.

as for corruption.. these days your ambassador McFaul to RF told interesting things. Your McFail told about US fail to bribe Kyrgyzian government because of luck of money. i was very surprised to hear from official person that Empire of Good who struggles corruption in RF and other countries is corrupted itself.

Your mind is set on supporting the butcher/dictator Assad. I cant change your mind. You must be very healthy, wealthy, and wiser since the Assad family took over Syria. Good for you. The world is thinking about the greater good, not the few with tunnel vision and a gun in hand. By the way, I am not American, so you are reaching. There is so much hatred in the world, why dont you think about solutions and not propping up dictators. They laugh at you as they keep you down and dirty on the farm.

June 1, 2012 at 6:27 pm |

BugOutBag

surprise, i'm not from syria. i'm from KGB)

June 1, 2012 at 6:47 pm |

mike

How is Russians action different from what The US is doing in Bahrain selling weapons to the dictator? The truth is America is the major cause of the syrian unrest. After Wiki leaks America should be ashamed of itself, A country that once gave alot to the world, is now destorying it becuase of its greed and selfishness. As a christian some times I wonder whom the America government is supporting, Thousands of christians where displaced and killed in Iraq. Now syria one of the most tolerant middle eastern countries to give to muslim extremist

As long Russia blocks the UN SECURITY COUNCIL BY VETO for taking action in syria as long the genocid will go on. In fact Russia is MAINLY TO BLAME here for all the deaths in syria every day! All russia care for is influence and profit, they dont really care for human rights, not in their own country and also not internationally..they have a very bad influence on the world for long..

shut up? if you can't have an intelligent conversation/debate with a stranger, how would you expect countries to have common decency either? No matter which one is to blame... The demise of humanity begins with each and every one of us. Try respecting others- isn't what all these wars are about- the lack of it?

This new virus is fitting, seeing how the nation it hails from is itself, a virus. Israel controls the US, as you would a puppet…

Michael Mukasey Recently appointed as US Attorney General. Mukasey also was the judge in the litigation between developer Larry Silverstein and several insurance companies arising from the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001.

Michael Chertoff Former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, at the Justice Department; now head of Homeland Security.

Richard Perle One of Bush’s foreign policy advisors, he is the chairman of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board. A very likely Israeli government agent, Perle was expelled fromSenatorHenry Jackson’s office in the 1970′s after the National Security Agency (NSA) caught him passing Highly-Classified (National Security) documents to the Israeli Embassy. He later worked for the Israeli weapons firm, Soltam. Perle came from one the above mentionedpro-Israelthinktanks,the AEI.Perle is one ofthe leading pro-Israeli fanatics leading this Iraq war mongering within the administration and now in the media.

Paul Wolfowitz Former Deputy Defense Secretary, and member of Perle’s Defense Policy Board, in the Pentagon. Wolfowitz is a close associate of Perle, and reportedly has close ties to the Israeli military. His sister lives in Israel. Wolfowitz came from the above mentioned Jewish thinktank, JINSA. Wolfowitz was the number two leader within the administration behind this Iraq war mongering. He later was appointed head of the World Bank but resigned under pressure from World Bank members over a scandal involving his misuse of power.

Lawrence (Larry) Franklin The former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst with expertise in Iranian policy issues who worked in the office of UndersecretaryofDefense for Policy Douglas Feithand reported directly to Feith’s deputy, William Luti, was sentenced January 20, 2006, “to more than 12 years in prison for giving classified information to an Israeli diplomat” and members of the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Not sure whether Russia is selling bullets guns etc. right now (no sense... guns are cheap... also they have lots of them) ... but for sure – Saudi, Qatar and others are selling those... to opposition of course. You think this is ok for stopping war?
Of course Assad's forces r doing bad things suppressing opposition, but let me assure you – in any conflict one can't tell absolutely right and absolutely wrong side ... sides are always good and bad... the question is to what extent.
As for Houla – as far as I know from UN reports and analyses like http://theuglytruth.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/un-report-on-houla-massacre-conflicts-with-rebel-accounts/... there were killed policemen... lot's of kids were killed by knives... not by bombs. this looks strange.
There should be independent research by UN – this is for sure... all blames before the comprehensive independent research are just emoticons.

Is it because it is not Putins child that has just died or next to die in syria.What real effort has russia made to bring about the political solution he so much emphasize on.Even his proposal does not include opposition elements in syria.mentioning regional countries like Lebanon,Iran are somewhat hypocritical and unseriuos in nature.pls ignore Russia if yoiu want to help syria or leave Assad alone to slaughter all of them.

Putin your country is selling arms to him. You are most definately the one with the most responsibility of any one involved aside from the syrians. China virtually always goes against military action.

You, not russia, not the cremlin , not the russian farmers, you putin carry this blood on your hands. Your selling the bullets, the guns, and stopped the only thing that had any chance to end it before it began.

You are todays hitler , and will be remembered by history for what you have allowed on your watch. You might not order the killing but selling the guns makes you just as guilty. You are russias iron fist. You are responsible

I agree he is part of the problem. But we as a nation are one of the largest arms dealers in the world. By your theory, we should be held responsible with countless other tragedies. If anyone wants this crisis to end, simply get Assad to open the country to the world wide press. Put a camera on every corner, then we will see who these militants killing everyone really are. If you are not guily Assad, then open your country to the world so we can see. Sanctions will do nothing, the world press will identify the true killers and then we can bring the party responsible to justice.

The World will not identify anything via justice. The so-called international law is basically "Law of Jungle": winners are getting away with any war crimes, no matter how gruesome, losers always loose because nobody in that court will listen them.

pootin potin pootin, you selling weapons to syria, okay tell u what if you have any personel or military equipment in syria when I get there they are a part of the regime and you already know what the destiny of the syrian regime is EXTERMINATION.

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CNN's Security Clearance examines national and global security, terrorism and intelligence, as well as the economic, military, political and diplomatic effects of it around the globe, with contributions from CNN's national security team in Washington and CNN journalists around the world.